Animals That Own Animal – Manahil Bandukwala

amalgamation of rabbit’s ears
kangaroo tail
sip cabernet
instead of sauvignon
deer wear hunting arrows like jewellery
hide the hide stay behind the trees
the clock that stands in the desert
we can be air plants
spruce needles draw blood
when crawled upon
as we do pawing for bugs
in undergrowth
vines of sorts peek out
where creatures ferments grapes
for fairytales
sip tea from spout of ceramic pot
watch over the pet bamboo
split animals into categories
find where you fit best

Manahil Bandukwala is a Pakistani-Canadian poet and artist. She is the author of two chapbooks, Paper Doll (Anstruther Press, 2019) and Pipe Rose (battleaxe press 2018). Her work has appeared in or is forthcoming in Room Magazine, the Puritan, carte blanche, Coven Editions, the Poetry Annals, and others. She is the 2019 winner of Room Magazine’s Emerging Writer Award. Find her work online at manahils.com.